The Race to Preserve Sudan's Ancient Heritage
In a quiet Parisian office at the French National Institute for Art History, Sudanese archaeologist Shadia Abdrabo works tirelessly against time. Her mission: to digitally preserve what remains of Sudan's rich cultural heritage before it disappears forever. As conflict ravages her homeland, this curator from Sudan's National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums (NCAM) dedicates her yearlong research grant to building a comprehensive online database of archaeological sites, museum collections, and historical archives.
War's Devastating Impact on Cultural Treasures
The war that erupted in April 2023 between the Rapid Support Forces and Sudanese Armed Forces has inflicted catastrophic damage on Sudan's cultural institutions. Museums have been systematically looted and destroyed, though the full extent of losses remains unknown. Abdrabo emphasizes the urgency of her task, stating, "We have to work fast to secure our collections. We've already lost two museums and we don't want to lose more."
The destruction has been particularly severe at regional museums in El Geneina and Nyala, which were almost completely demolished. In Khartoum, the National Museum suffered extensive damage when militias ransacked its storerooms, even posting videos of their fighters inside the facility. Before the conflict, this museum housed approximately 100,000 artifacts spanning millennia of Sudanese history.
Among the priceless treasures at risk were pieces dating to prehistoric times, including artifacts from the Kerma Kingdom, the Napatan era when Kushite kings ruled the region, and the Meroitic civilization that built Sudan's iconic pyramids. The museum also displayed later Christian and Islamic objects, creating a comprehensive timeline of Sudanese cultural development.
Irreplaceable Losses and International Response
The National Museum contained some of archaeology's most significant finds, including mummies dating back to 2,500 B.C. – among the world's oldest and most scientifically valuable – along with royal Kushite treasures. UNESCO has raised alarms about the unprecedented level of cultural plundering, noting the threat to Sudan's heritage has reached critical levels.
"My heart was broken, you know? It's not just objects that we lost. We lost research, we lost studies, we lost many things," Abdrabo shared emotionally. The personal connection runs deep for the archaeologist, who hails from Nubia in northern Sudan, a region filled with monuments and archaeological sites that once hosted some of the world's earliest kingdoms, rivaling ancient Egypt in power and wealth.
Unlike cultural emergencies following conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, researcher Meryam Amarir notes that Sudan's crisis has received limited international media coverage, reducing the global response. UNESCO has conducted inventories and trained police and customs officers to recognize stolen antiquities while appealing to collectors to avoid acquiring Sudanese cultural property.
Personal Journey and Preservation Efforts
Abdrabo was working at the national museum in Khartoum when the war began. Like many Sudanese, she initially believed the conflict would be brief. "We thought it would finish soon... but then life started getting really difficult: not just the bombing, but there was no electricity, no water," she recalled. She eventually fled north with her three sisters, moving through Atbara and Abri before reaching Port Sudan.
During this dangerous period, Abdrabo and her NCAM colleagues worked relentlessly to protect Sudan's 11 museums and archaeological sites – some designated with UNESCO World Heritage status – by moving artifacts to secure rooms and secret locations. However, according to Sudanese cultural heritage advocate Ali Nour, these protective measures couldn't keep pace with the destruction. "While applications were being drafted, sites were being emptied. While risk assessments were reviewed, entire archives vanished," Nour wrote.
International Collaboration and Future Challenges
Geoff Emberling of the University of Michigan's Kelsey Museum of Archaeology emphasizes Sudan's historical significance, noting its ancient connections through trade and military activity with Egypt, the Mediterranean world, and Mesopotamia. Sudan was the primary source of gold in the region during ancient times. "If we're interested in these ancient cultures, then we have to be interested in Sudan," Emberling stated.
Emberling is involved with the recently established Sudan Cultural Emergency Recovery Fund, a task force requested by NCAM that aims to unite institutions, scholars, and donors around urgent heritage recovery efforts. He praised Abdrabo's work as "urgently essential" for establishing what's missing, noting that about 15 Sudanese colleagues are currently working to clean and restore damaged artifacts at the Khartoum museum.
Abdrabo has funding until April 2026 to complete her database, but worries this timeframe may be insufficient. The work proves painstaking as datasets arrive in various formats – from spreadsheets to handwritten inventories and decades-old photographs. Though colleagues at the Louvre and British Museum offer support, she primarily works alone.
"I've done about 20% of the work. Just for the national museums, I've recorded 1,080 objects so far... and then I have to do other museums, sites, archives... I need to add pictures, ID numbers, coordinates," she explained, highlighting the monumental scale of her task.
As winter settles over Paris, the crisis in Sudan continues to drive Abdrabo's determination. "We are working on tracking what has been looted," she said. "I cry when I talk about this. My only goal and message is to bring back as much as possible, to do as much as I can for Sudan, but it's not easy for us." She added that beyond the immediate conflict, the consequences – including militias and mass displacement – create additional risks for cultural artifacts in unsecured locations.
The future remains uncertain for Sudan's heritage. "Until the war finishes we just don't know what is going to happen," Abdrabo concluded, her voice reflecting both the weight of her responsibility and her unwavering commitment to preserving her nation's history for generations to come.
